Well drilling mast



Feb, 4, 194-1. 11 BREEDlNG 2,230,522

WELL DRILLING MAST Filed July 23, 193B 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 4, 1941.BREEDING 2,230,522

WELL DRILLING MAST Filed July 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 D- BreefliwPatented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in well drilling apparatus, andits chief purpose is to provide a mast over which the various cables orlines can be run in drilling. As is more or less commonly known, thevarious cables used in raising and lowering the drilling tool, operatingthe bailer, raising and lowering casing, etc., must, obviously, be runover sheaves.

It is the current practice to provide these sheaves in appropriateplaces, but it is also current practice to place the sheaves virtuallyWherever it is most convenient to mount them. This practice has itsparticular advantage in the fact that it is a pure make-shift whenerecting the drilling apparatus, but when the time comes for dismantlingthe latter, the taking down of the sheaves means doing all of the workover again when remounting the sheaves at another well.

From this it will be understood that the provision of a unit which whenonce constructed will serve for any number of wells, and mark a decidedimprovement in this branch of oil well digging. This unit comprises aportable mast which embodies all of the necessary sheaves for anyconceivable kind of cable requirement.

A further provision comprises a safeguard against the damage whichjumping cables can cause. With this preview in mind the objects of sothe invention are as follows:

First, to provide a heavy-duty mast for use in W ll ill having thosestructural features which permit the accommodation of any and all wireand other cables used for suspending the 85 drill tool, pulling casing,operating the bailer, etc.

Second, to provide .a mast of the foregoing type with a .crows-nestwhich serves the double purpose of bracing the top of the mast andproviding a safe-guard for the operator who has to o workout in the openat the top.

Third, to embody certain essential bracing in said crows-nest, and toflare it downwardly so as to make room for the free running of thevarious lines at the front of the mast.

45 Fourth, to provide a mast wherein the sheaves are fully guarded sothat the jumping of any cable can cause little or no damage.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,reference being had 0 to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the mast,particularly illustrating the sheave and crows-nest construction.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the mast mainly illustrating the systemof bracing.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is .a cross section taken on the line 5 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In carrying out the invention, the mast generally designated I,comprises a pair of standards 2, 3; These standards preferably consistof heavy 1 tubes, this being a necessity because of the great weightsultimately imposed upon them. Said standards are made perfectly rigid bya system of longitudinal and transverse bracing.

The transverse bracing comprises a series of Widely spaced tubes, themajority of which are designated 4 (Fig. 2). The uppermost one of thisseries is designated 5, the reason for the distinction being that theuppermost transverse brace 5 is secured atits ends 6 (Fig. 1) morenearly 20 on the rear faces of the standards 2, 3. The remainingtransverse braces 4 are situated between the standards and within theconfines thereof, being attached to the confronting insides thereof bybutt joints at I.

The upright components 8 of this system of bracing consist of the pairsof tubes shown. These tubes reach between the transverse braces 4, 5,are attached thereto by butt joints 9, and lie within the confines ofthe standards. The upright braces 8 taper upwardly. This arrangementofi'sets the places of attachment 9 with respect to the transversebraces 4, 5 according to the order illustrated in Fig. 2. The advantageof this offsetting lies in the added strength which results fromseparating the places of connection of the longitudinal braces to thetransverse braces.

Further strength is imparted to the mast by a plurality of cross bracesl0. These, usually, 40 consist of solid bars. They are spaced at uniformdistances apart, orapproximately so, and in addition to their functionof braces they provide ladder rungs upon which the workman can climb.All of the previously mentioned braces are connected as indicated in thedrawings by welding. The actual welds are not shown, but it will beunderstood that places such as 6 and 9 comprise welding points.

A crows-nest construction or framing general- 1y designated I I, isbuilt into the top of the mast. This construction is involved in thebracing scheme and its main function is to strengthen the mast at thetop to withstand the pressures imposed upon the various sheaves. Saidframing comprises pairs of tubes l2, [3 (Fig. 1) which extend out fromthe standards 2, 3 and constitute reach members as presently appears.The front of the mast designated l4, is-identified by only one crosstube l5, this tube connecting the ends of the pair of tubes l2. At theback of the mast the same pair of tubes is joined by a cross tube IS.The corresponding ends of the tubes l3 are joined by a cross tube IT.The tubes l5, l6 and H are thus spaced away from the standards 2 by thereach members l2, [3, the relationship of the cross members to thesheaves later described being such that a workman standing on a chosenone of the cross members will be in a position-of ready access to thesheaves for the adjustment of the respective cable. Bracing rods 18 areconnected in this construction as shown,- ultimately being secured tothe standards 2, 3 as at [9.-

A bracing tube 20 transfixes the standards 2, 3, near the upperextremity and projects beyond the sides of the latter for slightdistances at 2|. Tapering braces 22 extend upward from this tube, beingjoined by a shaft 23 which is appropriately secured in sleeves 24 on topof the braces. The shaft 23 carries what is known as a cat-head pulley25. By virtue of the fact that the brace tube 20 is situated a slightdistance below the extremities of the standards, the resulting structureprovides recesses 26. These recesses as well as projections 2| providecable guards. If the cat-line should ever jump the pulley 25 it would becaught either by one of the recesses or one of the projections, thuslessening the chance of its falling down tothe floor and injuring aworkman.

A so-called upper shaft 2! is secured at 28 at its ends in sleeves 29which, in turn, are fixed crosswise of the standards. At an appropriatedistance below the upper shaft 21 there is a socalled lower shaft 30.This too is secured at 3| at its ends in sleeves 32 which are affixedcrosswise of the standards. Said sleeves are welded in place. Theirinner ends protrude at 32a. (Fig. 3) to touch the hubs of the adjacentsheaves presently described. Washers 32b are fitted upon the protrudingends 32a, and comprise flanges or wearing plates for the sheaves. Thewashers 3217 are both welded to the sleeves and to the standards 2, 3the welding material being fitted in at 320 (Fig. 5) to form a backing.

It will be observed that the lower shaft 30 is much heavier than theupper shaft 21. This provision is made because of the greater weightswhich are imposed upon the lower shaft. I The latter is medially bracedby a pair of side plates 33. These are secured at 34 to the brace tube20, from which said plates are pendent. They have holes at 35sufficiently large to carry collars 36. They are enlarged at 31 so as toprovide adequate supports for the shaft 30 which projects through atthis place. As already indicated, these plates take the strain off ofthe bottom shaft as they also do from the upper shaft 21.

A pair of pulleys 38 is mounted on the upper shaft 21 between thecollars 36. One or the other of these pulleys is used for the sand line.Generally only one pulley is used at a time, but it is preferred to havetwo at this place in order to meet an emergency. These pulleys have afairly wide space 39 between them. This space accommodates the top rimof the main or drill line sheave 40. Because of this arrangement thepulleys 38 are made to serve as guards for the main sheave. If the cableshould jump it would be deflected back into the pulley grooveby the 43,which extend down to the cross tubes l5, I6.

These rods are downwardly flared so as to make room for the free runningof the various lines mentioned at the front I 4 of the mast. The plates33, upon which much dependence is put, as al ready pointed out, are hungon rods 44 (Fig. 1) in addition'to their attachment at 34. It will beperceived in Fig. 1 that the bracing which constitutes the crows-nest IIhas various provisions for holding the cables should any one of themjump the respective pulley. The structure of the crows-nest is alsoimportant in bracing the upper end of the mast where the main pressureoccurs. A further use of the crows-nest is thatof an anchorage for theguy wires 45. The manner of tying these on is merely suggested in Fig. 1and in practice they can be tied on wherever the requirement dictates.

It is regarded as being of relative unimportance to point out in detailhow. the mast is mounted. The two standards 2, 3, will be mounted on anadequate foundation 45 (Fig. 2) somewhere within the drill house 47. Themast must be mounted I side. When the latter are emplaced on the vari- 1extremities of the standards thereby to define projections of the topsof the standards above the brace tube, upwardly extending braces affixedto the brace tube in from the projections of the standards thusproducing recesses, and a pulley journaled at the top of the braces, acable jumping said pulley being caught in a recess.

2. A mast for use in well drilling comprising a pair of standards, meansspacing the standards laterally, said means including at least oneshaft, at least one sheave adapted for the support of a cable, saidsheave being mounted on the shaft and thus utilizing a part of thespacing means for its journal, and a framing attached to the standardsto strengthen them in the regions of the shaft and sheave against thestresses imposed by the cable, said framing consisting of a plurality ofcross members situated parallel to the shaft in proximity to the sheaveso that a workman standing on a chosen one of the cross members willhave ready access to the sheave for the emplacement of the cable, reachmembers extending out from the standards generally crosswise of theshaft and attached at their ends to the cross members thereby to spacethe latter away from the standards, and a bracing rod system connectingthe cross members to each other and to the standards.

3. In a mast having a brace tube spacing a pair of standards and havingparallel shafts attached to and spaced from each other along thestandards; a single sheave on one shaft, a pair of pulleys on the othershaft, marginally overlapping the sheave and stationed at the respectivesides of the sheave, and a pair of side plates affixed to and pendantfrom the brace tube, providing journal supports for both shafts andbeing located close to the pulleys to prevent end movement thereof.

DELSON BREEDING.

